Running Nicki

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Sunday, September 9, 2012

This past week was pretty crazy. I did manage to run Sunday morning with my Dad, and then again on my own in the neighborhood Monday morning. And then yesterday I ran the Gruene 10K with Mathis and my parents.

I am still pretty out of shape, but I knew it would be important to run this race. Even though Texas is crazy hot and I've been crazy busy at work, I definitely want to stay active and stay healthy. I am so proud of my parents for doing the same.

Mathis felt like he had pulled a muscle prior to running the race, and he wasn't sure how he'd do. Well, he ended up doing awesome (as usual) and running at an 8:50 pace. Show off! :)

My dad and I were within minutes from finishing at the same time. And my mom did awesome on her own as well... it was great to see her running at the finish. She and my dad are walking/running the San Antonio Rock 'n Roll Half in November.

The race started and ended at Gruene Hall. It was a really pretty course, and the weather was pretty good despite still being too hot for my liking. My Garmin wasn't turning on before the run, and it had me a little freaked out. Thankfully I googled how to reset the watch on my Mom's iPhone, and I was able to reset it before the race. I have become so reliant on this watch that it's tough to think of running a race without it.

I had to walk a few times... I think I was a little dehydrated and still not completely used to the heat. Thankfully there was a nice breeze and that really helped. I finished in 1 hour and 9 minutes -- overall an 11:14 pace. Definitely NOT my best, but I still feel good about it. I'm just happy to have gotten out there and done it. I know my pace will pick up again as I continue running. The weather is only going to get better for us here, and I'm also still settling into my routine with work.

The next race we'll be running is the Boxer BOOgie in October. I love Halloween, and I love boxers. I'm SOOOO excited for this race!!! :) I'm going to run the 5K and hoping to set a PR!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

I got myself out of bed Tuesday morning for a 3 mile run, and I can sum this run up in three words: slow and sweaty. I felt like I was running fast, but oh my goodness I WAS SOOOOO SLOW. And even though it was pitch black outside I was still sweating bullets by the end. Oh, Texas...... I'm hoping to get myself out of bed tomorrow morning for another 3 mile run, and we'll see if I'm any faster. :)

Sunday, August 26, 2012

This morning I headed out the door a little after 8:00am. It was getting pretty warm by then, but running at 8 allowed me to sleep in a bit. Thankfully there was some good cloud cover, but it was also crazy HUMID outside. I ran my new neighborhood route, stopped and walked halfway in and had to stop one other time at the end. I think I was a little dehydrated, and I'll admit that I haven't been drinking as much water as I should be. In fact after church today we stopped at HEB, and I stocked up on bottled water because I think it will help me drink more often. All in all, I got out there and did it in 34 minutes. Not too shabby for being out of shape and running in the heat.

My lower back has been hurting a bit since the run this morning, and I've already been using the foam roller this afternoon to try and alleviate any stress. Here's to a week of consistent running!

Saturday, August 25, 2012

A lot has happened since my last post in May. For those that keep up with my main blog, you know that we moved to Texas this summer. Since that time my running has really taken a nose dive. Between the heat and a new job, I've only ran a handful of times since moving into our new home. I still have that itch for running, and I'm signed up for a 10K here in just a few weeks.

My Dad and I earlier this summer before running early one Saturday morning :)

I'm hoping to start using this blog again for some motivation. It really helped me when I first began running in Virginia three years ago, and this move to Texas feels like a new beginning for me and my running journey. So stay tuned for some more posts as I learn how to run in hot, humid South Texas. :)

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

I took a little over a week off from Blue Ridge, and this felt right. It was part busy-ness, part laziness. :) But tonight I laced up my shoes and headed out to meet Kim and Meagan for our weekly run. Holy heat wave, Batman it was HOT! 84 degrees to be exact, but that heat kicked my butt tonight. I had to stop and walk towards the end, but we still punched out 4 miles around a 10:30 pace. I don't even know how my body will handle running in Texas this summer, but I'm not going to let myself stress over it (not yet at least!)

Kim treated us to some frozen yogurt at Sweet Frog after our run, and it was such a nice treat. She said it was in honor of my graduation, which I'm definitely excited about. My parents come in to town TOMORROW and we have lots of fun activities planned! :)

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Yesterday, Mathis and I ran the Blue Ridge Half Marathon. Oh my goodness I love this race. It is hands down my favorite race, and I'm considered a 'legacy runner' since I've ran the race every year since the beginning (three years ago). Here are my recaps for 2010 and 2011.

I wasn't sure what to expect yesterday. My running has been a little off lately, and I went into the race with low expectations. It's been nearly a year since my last half, which is really hard to believe. I've run several 10 mile races in the past year, but I hadn't seen 13.1 in quite awhile. I met up with my two running buddies, Megan and Kim, before the race, and it wasn't long before we were on our way. Mathis ran ahead of me, and we had plans to meet up afterwards.

Here's a picture of Megan, Kim and I after crossing the finish line.

This was my first half since becoming a fanatic, and I was really excited to wear my fanatics shirt. I met one other half fanatic prior to the start of the race, but I was a little flustered at this point because I couldn't find Mathis or Megan and Kim. I wish I could have grabbed a picture with her, but it was still nice to bump into each other. There were a lot of maniacs running the marathon, and they definitely inspire me!

I don't know what it is about this race, but I just absolutely love every bit of it. The only thing that has left me disappointed are the t-shirts (wish they were technical), but that's such a small detail. The course is breathtakingly beautiful, and the runners are so friendly. The marathon and half-marathon runners begin the course together at the same time, and I love this part of the race. There's always a lot of talking while going 'up the mountain' and I met a man who had run over 300 marathons!! Speaking of mountains, here's the course elevation profile for the half...

This race is anything but flat. The elevation gain is 1267 feet, and the total elevation gain/loss is 2528. A good portion of the race is on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's certainly not an easy race, but for some reason I just can't get enough of it.

I know that a lot of it has to do with the race being local and showcasing the beauty of where we live. I love that it's a smaller race that still continues to grow in size each year, and I love the feeling of accomplishment I get each year when I run it. The volunteers are also great, and for some reason this race has such a personal feel to it. I'm sure I feel such a strong connection to it, because it was my first half and I'll never forget that day.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of getting to stick with my friend Megan for the entire course. I had set up an iTunes playlist, but we were able to chat the entire time instead and I never put in my headphones. We hadn't necessarily planned on sticking together, but I'm so glad that we did. We walked/ran the course, because that's pretty much what you have to do. ;) It certainly wasn't my fastest half, but it was one of the best half marathons. This race won't give you the fastest time (although Mathis still did really well!) but you still feel so proud of finishing no matter how long it took. I really feel that the race yesterday brought back some of my JOY for running.

Mathis had such a great race too -- he booked it and ran the half in 1:55 (an 8:50 minute/mile pace!)

After the race we watched the marathon winner (who finished the full about 20 minutes after I finished the half), and then we headed out for beer and burgers. It was only about 11:00am at this point, but we were starving and ready to celebrate! :)

We ate a local restaurant a few blocks from the finish, and it was great to sit outside on the patio. The weather was really beautiful -- just a tad warm (low 60s), but overall pretty great. We got quite a bit of thunderstorms in the afternoon, and I'm so grateful they held off in the morning.

And after lunch we had one more stop to make before heading back home. Every time I see this sign I smile. I think 'we have cupcakes' are some of the best three words ever said.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

This run is definitely one of the most meaningful runs I've ever been a part of. I was able to run in two years ago, and on Saturday Mathis and I ran it a second time.

I'm so grateful to be a part of the Hokie Nation and to have run this race over the weekend. This week I'll get in a few more runs before running the Blue Ridge Half on Saturday -- NO idea what to expect for that race, but also really looking forward to it! :)

Sunday, April 8, 2012

I always get a kick out of looking at race pictures. Mathis laughs at me because I always try to smile big for the camera, and I also seem to run with my thumbs up. :) This one's out of focus, but here's my go-to race pose.

At least I'm not the only smiling in this next picture...

Then there's the race pictures that reveal just how tough running can be (or look!)

Saturday, April 7, 2012

My running lately has been pretty blah -- I just haven't felt it. I know that I'll continue to run my whole life (God willing), but recently I have sorta dreaded my runs. Even the race last week was this way -- I did it and enjoyed it, but my heart wasn't completly in it. In fact I only ran once this week -- a short three mile run on Wednesday. My body just hasn't seemed to click when running. I haven't been too worried about it -- I know certain seasons come and go, but I've also been secretly wondering if or when I would find that love for running again.

For some strange reason it happened this morning. I absolutely L-O-V-E-D my run. I met up with Meagan for a longer run at 8:00am. It was in the 30s so I bundled up, and we headed out. We kept a 10:01 pace, and after the first few miles I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep it up. But as we kept going I realized I felt SO good. Yes, it was still tough, but I was LOVING every minute of it. I loved it so much that when Meagan left after 7 miles I went back out and ran another 4 miles on my own. I really think the weather had a lot to do with it -- I thrive in cooler weather, and the morning couldn't have been any more beautiful. I did a lot of praying on my last few miles, and I soaked up the beauty of Spring. Everything here is so gorgeous right now, and I love to be outside.

I am so grateful for such an awesome run -- not only was it fast and long, but it felt fantastic. I'm definitely excited for the Blue Ridge Half in a few weeks. This morning was just what I need to remind me how much I love to run.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

This past weekend Mathis and I both ran the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. We entered the lottery for this race back in December, and it's something that we had been looking forward to for a long time. On Saturday we headed to the race expo to pick up our bibs and race packets. The expo was very well organized, and we got our bibs and t-shirts without any waiting in line. The t-shirts were really nice. I ended up buying another race shirt that I'm very excited to have. Another cool thing about the expo was the fact that they were handing out free posters in honor of the 40th anniversary of the race.

On Sunday morning we woke up bright and early. I had set several alarms and had also woken up several times throughout the night ready to go. We ate our breakfast, and headed out the hotel for the metro. The metro was running two hours earlier that morning in honor of the race, and it was definitely the best way to get to the race. We jumped on a train, and it got pretty crowded as we got closer and closer to our stop. It was fun and exciting to be riding with so many runners -- I always love the camaraderie of running races. I snapped this picture once we arrived at the Smithsonian stop and you can see how many runners are getting off the train and up on to the escalator.

We walked a short ways to the starting line, and then Mathis and I parted ways. He was in the corral before me, and I knew that he would keep a faster pace. We picked out a place to meet up after the race, and I jumped in with everyone else in the orange corral.

I always love fun race outfits... :)

And we spotted a boxer!! Love these dogs :)

One of the best moments was hearing the national anthem sung before the start -- everyone was so quiet and it was such a solemn moment. It wasn't long before I got to cross the starting line, and we were off!

I took a lot of pictures during this race. I love being able to do this, and it's always a lot of fun for me to remember the day. It was pretty cloudy that morning, but the weather was great for running. I hadn't planned on wearing my jacket but I was glad I had it. It was in the 40s, and I love this running weather.

After starting near the Washington Memorial, the next memorial I spotted on the course was the Lincoln Memorial.

There were certainly a lot of runners, but I never felt too crowded. I was always able to find my own 'space', and I always love being around so many other runners. If you look closely in this next picture you can see the Lincoln Memorial on the left and the Washington memorial on the right. This picture was taken while running back over the Potomac River.

Early on in the race we saw the mens winners, and there was a lot of cheering for them. It was crazy to know that they were close to finishing while I was just getting started. :)

I kept a nice easy pace for this race. For some reason I didn't feel the need to push myself. I just wanted to enjoy each moment. I stayed around an 11 minute pace, and this felt really good to me. In this next picture we were approaching the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin.

Most of the cherry blossom trees looked like the trees in the background of this next picture... green leaves.

BUT there was a handful of 'late' bloomers on the course, and I was delighted to see them. These trees are SO beautiful, and my foggy iPhone pictures do not do them justice.

There was a lot of great volunteer and spectator support along the race. My two favorite signs of the day were: "You trained for longer for this race than Kim Kardashian's marriage." and "Worst parade ever." :)

The miles went by quickly (as they always seem to do) and it wasn't long before I remember looking down at my Garmin and seeing only half a mile left. There was a slight incline at the end, but the rest of the course was beautifully flat. I crossed the finish line, and my legs were certainly sore.

I found Mathis quickly, and we made our way over to the medals tent. It was optional to purchase a medal, and I'm so grateful we did. This is hands down one of our favorite medals.

Mathis had a great race and took away a PR by keeping a 9 minute pace. He loved the course and told me that this was definitely one of his favorite races we've run. It was special to run this race during the 40th anniversary of the race and the 100th anniversary of the overall Cherry Blossom Festival.

If you want to read about the other things we did in DC you can click over here to my other blog. This was definitely a great race and we hope to run it again one day.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

I'm thankful to say that I ran 4 times this past week. After having been sick, I was able to run 3 miles on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The miles felt okay, and I was grateful to be getting back into it. Yesterday I met up with Meagan for my first long run since the Blacksburg Classic two weeks ago. I was NOT feeling it when I woke up, and the only thing that got my butt out the door was knowing Meagan would be waiting for me. :) I am SO THANKFUL for the accountability of running buddies. The run was T-O-U-G-H, but we did it. I had left my Garmin at home -- I could have sworn we were keeping a 12 minute pace, but in actuality we kept a 10:20 pace. The weather was really great -- cool enough with beautiful blue skies. Even though I felt like a slug, I was still happy to be running on the trail. And when I got back I went straight for my morning coffee...

There's nothing that feels better than knowing you did it. I love the feeling of knowing I got myself out there and overcame the obstacles. With daylight savings I'm hoping to increase the distance on some of my weekly runs. Spring is here, and I'm ready to run!! :)

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Well, my no posting over here has certain mirrored my running life. I haven't ran in over a week thanks to a case of laryngitis. I woke up Sunday feeling bad, and things haven't improved much since then. I missed three days of work this week before finally seeing the doctor yesterday. I have some meds now, and I'm really hoping to get back to my old self soon. I'm not feeling great this morning, and I have no clue when I'll feel up to running again.

I'm definitely BUMMED about being sick and just as bummed to have a set back in my running. But I know that this is all part of life. Sickness, injuries, busy schedules... they all happen, and they're each a season of life. I'll get back to running as soon as I can, and I know it'll be there waiting for me. It may take me some time to build back up, and my Spring races may not be PRs -- BUT the important thing (for me at least!) is to keep on moving forward.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

I'm proud to say that I've run three times this week -- 3 miles on Monday, 3.5 on Wednesday, and 4 tonight. I have been searching for this kind of consistency for a long time! I'm hopeful that I'm starting to get 'my groove' back although running has been T-O-U-G-H this week. I'm not too concerned about it -- I know that my body just needs to adapt, but man these miles are killing me!

I've got two rest days now until my long run on Sunday, and I'm hoping that will give my body some time to rejuvenate itself. My birthday's on Saturday, which means tonight was my last run as a 26 year-old. Here's hoping 27 has some good running in store for me! :)

Monday, February 20, 2012

About Me

I began this blog in November of 2009 as a way for me to document my journey towards becoming a runner. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with running, and this blog has continued to be a wonderful outlet for me to record my training! :)

In January of 2011 my husband and I ran our first marathons at Disney World. It was a great experience, and we can't wait for the next one! To learn more about me, come check out my other blog!

2011 Capital City Half-Marathon

Running Buddies

Colossians 1:11-12

"We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul--not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that He has for us."